CONTINUOUS FUEL TANK LEVEL CONTROL

摘要

A method of aircraft fuel distribution includes selecting a longitudinal center of gravity and predicting a rate of change of the center of gravity during flight. Fuel is located in a tail fin tank of a vertical tail fin of the aircraft, and is transferred from the tail fin tank forward at a predetermined transfer rate to counteract the predicted rate of change thereby maintaining the selected center of gravity. An aircraft fuel distribution system includes a center main fuel tank, a tail fin tank and a tail fin fuel pump to pump fuel between the tail fin tank and the center main fuel tank. An electronic controller operates the tail fin fuel pump such that fuel is flowed between the tail fin tank and the center main fuel tank at a predetermined transfer rate to maintain automatically an optimal position of a longitudinal center of gravity of the aircraft.

主权项

1. A method of fuel distribution in an aircraft comprising:
selecting a desired longitudinal center of gravity of an aircraft; determining a predicted rate of change of the center of gravity location during flight operation of the aircraft; disposing a volume of fuel in a tail fin tank of a vertical tail fin of the aircraft; and transferring the fuel from the tail fin tank forward along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft at a predetermined transfer rate to counteract the predicted rate of change of the center of gravity location thereby maintaining the center of gravity in the selected position.